Pump



y 5, 1950 H. RIHUMPHREYS 2,516,388

PUMP

Original Filed Dec. 20, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet l July 25, 1950 H. R.HUMPHREYS 2,515,388

PUMP

Original Filed Dec. 20. 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet y 5, 1950 H. R. HUMPHREYS2,516,388

PUMP

Original Filed Dec. 20, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 JJIM INVENTOR Hunnd RHumphreys,

6/322, ,fi /w W i At torn eys.

Patented July 25, 1 950 4 Y. ,i i 2 5 3 PUMP Hanna R. Humphreys, Weems,Va., assignor to The Humphreys Railways, Inc., Weems, Va., a corporationof Virginia Original application December 20,1946, Serial N 0. 717,555.Divided and this application January 5, 1949, Serial No. 69,361 I g 2Claims. (01. 103-227) This invention relates to apparatus for handlingbulk materials, and more particularly for unloading fish from the holdof a boat or other receptacle containing a mass of fish mixed withwater.

The unloading of boat loads of fish and the delivery of these fish to apacking house or other factory, has always presented a dimcult problem.This unloading and handling of the fish has heretofore been doneentirely by hand and is a very tedious and laborious operation.

One of the objects of the present invention is to devise a method andapparatus for unloading and conveying boat loads of fish by means of apump.

Another object of the invention is to devise an improved construction ofpump capable of efiiciently moving a fluid mass consisting of a mixtureof fish and water, and so designed that only an extremely smallpercentage of the fish pass- .ing through the pump is injured ordamaged.

. The present application is a continuation in part of my priorco-pending application S. N. 604,445, filed July 11, 1945, nowabandoned, and also contains subject matter divided out of my priorco-pending application S. N. 717,555, filed December 20, 1946.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, reference is hadto the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through my improved pump and associatedmechanism, parts being shown in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1,looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the pump takensubstantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of thearrows, parts being shown in elevation and parts being broken away; 7

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of my improved rotary valve forming part ofthe pump;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, vertical section, somewhatsimilar to Fig. 3, but showing a modified construction of valve; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse section substantially on the line 66 of Fig. 5,looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings in detail, my improved pump is of the singleacting reciprocating type and comprises a cylinder I, open at one end,and mounted on a suitable support I. In this cylinder reciprocates asolid piston 2, coupled by means of a connecting rod 3, to the crank 4of a crankshaft 5, journalled in suitable bearings and having securedthereto a gear 6, meshing with a pinion I, connected with a pulley 8,around which passes a belt 9 froman engine or other suitable source ofpower, by which the pump is driven.

/ At the end of the cylinder I, opposite its open end, is a valvehousing or casing II). This is disposed co-axially of the cylinder, andconstitutes, in eifect, an extension thereof. The valve casing issecured to the cylinder by means of abutting flanges II, fastenedtogether by 'bolts I2. A head I3, similarly secured, closes the outerend of the valve casing I0.

It will be noted that the casing" I0 is-of slightly greater internaldiameter than the cylinder I, thus forming an annular shoulder I4 at thejoint between the cylinder and casing. This shoulder is for the purposeof maintaining in position a rotary valve I6, which is contained in andfits snugly within the casing II).

This valve is best shown in Fig. 4, and is in the form of a hollowcylindrical member, having one open end communicating with the interiorof the cylinder I, and closed at its other end by a head I6 in thecenter of which is mounted a shaft I9. The valve I6 has a port I! cut inthe cylindrical wall thereof, and extending a substantial distancecircumferentially thereof.- As shown in the drawings, it extends almosthalf way around the valve.

As clearly shown in Fig. 4, the two side edges of this port I'I extendaxially and one of them, as

, shown at I8, is sharpened by bevelling off to provide a knife edge.

The head I3 carries a stuffing box I5, through which the shaft I9extends, and to the outer end of this shaft I9 is secured a gear 21!.This meshes with a similar gear 2 I, secured to a shaft 22, mounted insuitable bearings and carrying at its other end a bevel gear 23, meshingwith a similar gear 24 on the crankshaft 5.

Thus, as the piston 2 reciprocates, the valve I6 is rotated insynchronism therewith or in definite timed relation thereto.

Projecting radially from the cylindrical valve casing III are intake anddischarge conduits 25 and 21, these being shown as located atdiametrically opposite points of the casing.

A suitable suction hose (not shown) is attached to the intake conduit25, and is inserted down into the hold of a boat or other receptaclecontaining the fish, to which sufiicient water has been added to form afluid mass capable of being pumped.

It will be understood that during the outward or suction stroke of thepiston 2, the port i1 is in such a position that the end of the conduit25 entering the valve casing I is open, and therefore the mixture offish and water can enter the valve and cylinder through the conduit .25and port 11.. As or just before the piston begins its return ordelivery. stroke,.the port ll reaches such position as to uncover theend of the discharge conduit 21, while at the same time the valve 16covers or closes the end of the intake conduit 251 Thus, as the pistonmoves inwardly, it forces the:

fish and water mixture contained in the cylinder out through the port I!and discharge conduit By virtue of the fact that the valve 16 is hollow,it provides a chamber within which any fish which were not dischargedmay be temporarily held as the piston approaches the innermost limit ofits stroke, thus preventing the fish from being mashed by the piston.

If, by any chance, a. fish should be caught within the. mouth; of theintake or discharge conduit, as the valve closes,.the. sharp-knifeedgel8 of. the valve, cooperating with. the edge of the. conduit, will cutor shear the fish off, and thus prevent clogging or jamming of theapparatus. While I. thus provide a knife edge for shearing. off a fishwhich may possibly become caught in. the port as-the. valve closes, Ihave found, from experience, that, in practice, this happens veryseldom. Tests have shown that less than one percentof. the fish are inany way out or injured.

While, for the sake of simplicity, I have illustrated. and described a:pump consisting. of buta single cylinder, it will, of course,- beunderstood that. I contemplate using a plurality of cylinders, each withitsown rotary valve, if desired, and all-discharging into a commonconduit.

The valve shown in Figs-..5.- and 6 is similar in construction. and.operation to that illustrated" in the preceding fig-, ures.- Inusing thevalve shown in. Figs. 17 to 4,,however, it has. been found that there isa slight tendency for fish to become trapped inthe hollow interior of:the cylindrical valve. In order to avoidthis, and to eliminate anypossible pocket. inwhich the fish might become caught or jam-med; I.have. devised the constructionshownin Figs. 5. and 6. In this-art'-rangement I provide a partition wall or bafile plate 29 extending fromthe open end of. the cylindricalvalve member at a.point opposite theport [1 diagonally toward thev a-Xisthereof. Opposite its open end thevalve. member comprises-an end plate 2'8ikeyed to a shaft. l9 which 1preferably projectsvinto the-.interior of the valve member, Thepartition wall 29 extends to. and around. the projecting, end ofthisshaft asindicated at 251 inE-ig. 5., and is preferably welded theretoand to the inner wallsv of the valve mem ber, thus closing oif the spacewithin said: valvemember opposite. the port. ll. Thus the fish passing:throughthe .port 1 into and out of. the pump cylinder, slide freely overthis diagonal partition wallZil and all. possibility of their becomingtrapped. or. jammed. is. eliminated.

While I have described. the invention in. connection with the unloading.of. fish, it. will be valve casing forming a continuation of saidcylinder and having inlet and discharge conduits extending radiallytherefrom, a rotary valve in said casing, said valve being in the formof a hollow cylindrical member, open at its end adjacent said cylinder,and having a port controlling the fiow of fluid into and out of saidcylinder. through said. intake and discharge conduits, said. port.having axially extending edges, one. of. said edges being bevelled offand sharpened to form. a knife edge, said knife edge cooperating withthe inside edge of the mouth of one of said conduits to produce a.shearing action capable of slicing through any fish which may be caught.in said' port and means for rotating said'valve in synchronism with saidpiston.

2. A reciprocating pump comprising a cylinder and piston, a valve casingat one end" of said cylinder and co-axial therewith; said valve casingforming a continuation. of said cylinder and having inlet and dischargeconduits extending radially therefrom, a rotary valve in said casing;said valve being in the form of a hollow completely cylindrical member,open at its end adjacent said cylinder, and having at its other end awall formed with a fiat face bearing against the end wallof'said'casing, said'val've having at one side a port controlling the flow offluid into and out of said'cyli'nder through said intake and dischargeconduits, a partition plate. inside of said. hollow cylindrical memberand extending diagonally from a point adjacent the edge of said open endto said end wall. at a. point adjacentthe ends of said port, thusclosing ofi a portion of" the interior ofsaid hollow member oppositesaid port, and means for rotating said valve in synchr'onism with saidpiston.

I-IANNA R. HUMPHREYS.

CITED The icllowing. references. are v of record in the file. of. this.patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

